"Although there is a throughline between a woman emptying her bag in the 2000s and today’s content creators’ gift guides, there is one significant shift: self-awareness brought on by the internet." OKAY THIS!
I so appreciate the clarity with which you identified the difference between peeks into someone's bag then vs. now. "The contents of a bag, at least in the 2000s, were meant to be private..." THAT'S IT! Getting a peek into someone's bag, or their vanity in a mini-interview felt so much more personal then.
hit the nail on the head (but when have you never?) there's something so manufactured about those videos; they mimic intimacy but are actually anything but.
One time I said "the brands we buy make up our identity" in a TikTok, and let me tell you: the communists did NOT like that one. Thank you for articulating the subconscious thoughts in my brain, as always!!
finishing this piece, which is essentially criticising our relationship to consumption, and performative consumption, with the line 'to be loved is to be understood' is sickening & genius - I love it. I can hear that line on a christmas TV ad.
"Although there is a throughline between a woman emptying her bag in the 2000s and today’s content creators’ gift guides, there is one significant shift: self-awareness brought on by the internet." OKAY THIS!
you see it right?????? 🙂↕️
I SEE IT!
What a piece?! Thanks!!!
I loved this—and I love that you nailed what “What’s In Your Bag” has become today…shilling product under the guise of intimacy!
thanks so much for reading liana!! with the surplus of “what’s in my bag” content, i loved that i could reference your incredible work :)
Every single thing you write is so poignant and good! I cannot wait to see the trajectory of your writing career holy shit.
this brought the biggest smile to my face, thank you so much for saying this 😭😭
I so appreciate the clarity with which you identified the difference between peeks into someone's bag then vs. now. "The contents of a bag, at least in the 2000s, were meant to be private..." THAT'S IT! Getting a peek into someone's bag, or their vanity in a mini-interview felt so much more personal then.
right? What’s the point of looking in someone’s bag if it’s full of sponsored content like an Architectural Digest tour?
The specificity of *who* these gift guides are supposedly for, perfectly encapsulates the absurdity you just so eloquently described.
"The Pampered Jetset Boho Babe." I'm sorry, who? I don't know her!!
Also, THIS shook me to my core: "A morose metaphor for the importance of externality over interiority."
thanks so much for reading!
hit the nail on the head (but when have you never?) there's something so manufactured about those videos; they mimic intimacy but are actually anything but.
thank you ayan! yeah if you ever see me do a what’s in my bag.. just know im getting to the bag with a fist full of sponsored content heheeeee
in this economy?? understood lol
One time I said "the brands we buy make up our identity" in a TikTok, and let me tell you: the communists did NOT like that one. Thank you for articulating the subconscious thoughts in my brain, as always!!
finishing this piece, which is essentially criticising our relationship to consumption, and performative consumption, with the line 'to be loved is to be understood' is sickening & genius - I love it. I can hear that line on a christmas TV ad.